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![]() Remigius, Archbishop of Rheims, flourished in the time of Clovis, King of the Franks, whom he baptized, and was the first who, by his preaching and miracles, brought the Franks to believe in the Lord Christ. At his prayers, a dead maiden was raised to life. He expounded many books of the Holy Scriptures. He ministered to the Church of Rheims with the utmost acceptance for above three score and ten years, and the holiness of his life and death were witnessed by many signs and wonders which befell afterward.
![]() Jerome was the son of one Eusebius, and was born at Sdrigni in Dalmatia, in the reign of the Emperor Constantius. He was baptized at Rome when a young boy, and studied there, under the instruction of Donatus and other very learned personages. He travelled in Gaul for the sake of improving his mind, and there sought the friendship of divers godly men learned in the Scriptures, and made with his own hand many copies of the holy books. He afterwards betook himself to Greece, where he attained eminence as a philosopher and orator, in the following of the most famous theologians. At Constantinople, in especial, he sat at the feet of Gregory of Nazianzus, from whom he professeth himself to have learnt his theology. Then, for godliness' sake, he went to see the home of the Lord Christ, and so throughout all Palestine. He witnesseth that this pilgrimage, where he got the help of the most learned of the Jews for the understanding of the Holy Scriptures, did him much good. He withdrew himself into the wild deserts of Syria, where he passed four years in studying the Holy Scriptures and in considering the blessedness of heaven, afflicting his body by always denying himself, by bitter tears, and by chastisement of the flesh. He was ordained Priest by Paulinus, Patriarch of Antioch. He went to Rome on account of the quarrelling of certain Bishops with Paulinus and Epiphanius, and there helped Pope Damasus in the writing of his letters upon Church affairs. But the longing for his old solitude came upon him, and he went back to Palestine, where, in the monastery at Bethlehem, built beside the cradle of the Lord Christ by the Lady Paula of Rome, he set himself to enter on earth upon the life of heaven, serving God in reading and writing without ceasing, regardless of the sufferings of a body tormented by divers diseases and pains. Hard questions upon the interpretation of the Holy Scripture were sent to him from all parts of the earth, as to an oracle. He was oftentimes consulted by Pope Damasus and by the holy Augustine upon the meaning of the most obscure passages of the Scripture, because of his extraordinary learning, and that he knew not the Latin and Greek tongues only, but also the Hebrew and Chaldee, and, as the same Augustine testifieth, had read nearly all writers. He attacked heretics with keen publications, and ever undertook the defence of the godly and Catholic. He translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Latin, and, at the command of Damasus, reformed, according to the original Greek, the existing version of the New. Upon great part of the Scriptures he wrote commentaries. He translated likewise into Latin the works of many learned men, and himself contributed to the Christian life many monuments of his own wit. He lived to an extreme old age, and passed away to heaven, famous for learning and holiness, in the reign of the Emperor Honorius. His body was buried at Bethlehem, but hath since been brought to Rome, where it lieth in the Church of St. Mary-at-the-Manger. ![]() The Lesson is taken from the Sermons of St. Gregory the Pope We say that there are nine orders or choirs of Angels, for, by the witness of the holy Word, we know that there be Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim. Nearly every page of the holy Word witnesseth that there be Angels and Archangels. The books of the Prophets, as is well known, do often-times make mention of Cherubim and Seraphim. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians, counteth up the names of four orders, where he saith: Far above all Principality, and Power, and Virtue, and Dominion. And the same, again, writing to the Colossians, saith: Whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers. If, then, we add the Thrones to the four orders of which he spoke unto the Ephesians, we have five orders; and when we add unto them the Angels and the Archangels, the Cherubim and the Seraphim, we find that the orders of Angels are beyond all doubt nine. But we must know that the word Angel is the designation, not of a nature, but of an office. Those holy spirits in the heavenly fatherland are always spirits, but they may in nowise be always called Angels. For they are Angels only when they are sent as Messengers. Hence also it is said by the Psalmist: Who makest spirits thine Angels! as if it were: Of them who are always with him as spirits, he doth sometimes make use as Messengers. They who go on the lesser messages are called Angels: they who go on the greater Archangels. Hence it is that unto the Virgin Mary was sent no common Angel, but the Archangel Gabriel. For the delivery of this, the highest message, it was meet that there should be sent the highest Angel. Their individual names also are so given as to signify the kind of ministry wherein each is powerful. Michael signifieth Who is like unto God? Gabriel, The Strength of God. And Raphael, The Medicine of God. As often as anything very mighty is to be done, we see that Michael is sent, that by that very thing, and by his name, we may remember that none is able to do as God doeth. Hence that old enemy whose pride hath puffed him up to be fain to be like unto God, even he who said: I will ascend unto heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will be like the Most High, this old enemy, when at the end of the world he is about to perish in the last death, having no strength but his own, is shown unto us a-fighting with Michael the Archangel, even as saith John: There was a war in heaven: Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels. Unto Mary is sent Gabriel, whose name is interpreted The Strength of God, for he came to herald the appearing of him who was content to appear lowly that he might fight down the powers of the air. Raphael, also, as we have said, signifieth The Medicine of God, and it is the name of him who touched as a physician the eyes of Tobias, and cleared away his blindness. O glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, defend us in battle, and in the struggle which is ours against the principalities and Powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against spirits of evil in high places (Eph 6:12). Come to the aid of men, whom God created immortal, made in his own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil (Wis 2:23-24, 1 Cor 6:20). Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. But that cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with all his angels (Rev 12:7-9). Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of man has taken courage, Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of his Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions (Lam 3:15). In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and bring them the victory. The Church venerates thee as protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of this world and of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. (Rituale Romanum, 6th ed. post typicam, (Ratisbon: Pustet 1898), 163ff). ![]() Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia, was the son of a Christian father, Duke Wratislas I, and an heathen mother named Drahomira. He had for his grandmother a most holy woman, named Ludmilla, who trained him up in godliness. He was a man eminent in all graces, and one who carefully held his virginity unsullied throughout the whole course of his life. His mother seized the supreme power by the foul murder of Ludmilla, and lived foully with her younger son Boleslas, and the nobles roused thereby to indignation, and wearied with her tyranny and wicked government, cast off the yoke of both of them, and hailed Wenceslas in the city of Prague as their King. He ruled his kingdom by his virtues rather than by force. To the orphaned, the widowed, and the destitute he was very charitable, so that some whiles in the winter he carried firewood to the needy on his own shoulders. He helped oftentimes to bury the poor, he set captives free, and went many times to the prisons at the dead of night to comfort with money and advice them that were detained therein. To a Prince of so tender an heart it was a great grief to be behoven to condemn any to death, however guilty. For Priests he had a most earnest respect, and with his own hands sowed the corn and pressed the grapes for the bread and wine which they were to use for the Sacrifice. He would walk around the Church at night with bare feet upon the snow and ice, leaving behind him bloody footprints that warmed the ground. For his Bodyguard he had angels. For when Radislas, Prince of Gurinna, invaded Bohemia, and Wenceslas, to save the effusion of his people's blood, went out to meet him in single combat, two angels were seen serving him with arms, and heard to say to the adversary: Strike not. Therefore, his enemy was stricken with terror, fell down in reverence before him, and begged his forgiveness. When he went to Germany, the Emperor saw two angels carrying a golden Cross before him as he drew night him, and arose from his throne, embraced him in his arms, created him a King, and gifted him with the arm of the holy Martyr Vitus. Nevertheless, his godless brother, at the exhortation of their mother, bade him to a feast, and when Wenceslas, with a foreboding of the death prepared for him, went afterwards into the Church, and was praying there, Boleslas followed him thither, together with some accomplices of his crime, and when they had wounded him, despatched him with a lance. The stains of his blood may still be seen upon the walls. By the judgment of God, his unnatural mother was swallowed up by the earth, and his murderers, in divers ways, perished miserably. ![]() FATIMA SECRET Yet another reconstruction has come to light of the third part of the Secret of Fatima, revealed by the Mother of God to Sister Lucy in July, 1917. The Blessed Virgin wished it to be made public in 1960 at the latest, but the perfidious churchmen controlling Rome pretended that she had merely allowed it to be published from 1960 onwards, and it has been locked away ever since. From hints of its contents revealed by the few churchmen that have been able to read it, several attempts have been made to reconstruct it. This latest attempt has much in its favour. Here is its story. Cardinal Ottaviani (1890-1979) was a high churchman under Popes Pius XII, John XXIII and Paul VI, main protector of the Faith from 1959 to 1968. Given to read the Secret, but bound by secrecy, he found a way to reveal it without revealing it. Adding material to make the original Secret two to three times as long, he allowed the elongated version to be published, notably in a German magazine called Neues Europa. But the Vatican authorities could easily dismiss it as a fake, as it is now regarded, because the original Secret was known to be only 25 hand-written lines. However, the Cardinal had a friend, Don Luigi Villa (1918-2012), a valiant priest and defender of the true Church, especially against Freemasonry. At some point the Cardinal revealed to Fr. Villa exactly which parts of the longer version came from the original Secret, and Don Villa in turn told the same to his faithful lay collaborator, Dr. Franco Adessa, who has just put the same information into Chiesa Viva, an Italian periodical. Here then would be the original “Third Secret”:-- “A great chastisement will come down on the whole of mankind neither today, nor tomorrow, but in the second half of the 20th century. Nowhere in the world is there order, and Satan rules in the highest places, determining the course of events. He will even manage to work his way up to the top of the Church. For the Church too will come the time of its greatest trials. Cardinals will oppose cardinals, bishops will oppose bishops. Satan will march in their midst, and in Rome there will be changes. What is rotten will fall, what falls will not get up again. The Church will be darkened and the world overwhelmed in terror. A great war will be let loose in the second half of the 20th century. Fire and smoke will fall from Heaven, the oceans’ waters will be turned into steam, the foam of the sea will rise up, overwhelming and flooding everything. Millions and millions of men will die from one hour to the next, while those who survive will envy the dead. Death will be everywhere because of the errors committed by the madmen and henchmen of Satan, who then and only then will reign over the world. Finally while those who survive these events are still alive, they will proclaim once more God and the glory of God, and they will serve him as men used to do when the world had not yet become so perverse.” Fr Nicholas Gruner, an expert on Fatima, thinks that this version of the Secret may be incomplete, lacking mention of the Apocalypse and of recommended action. One may also object that the second half of the 20th century has come and gone with no World War. But have not madmen been stirring up war in the Middle East, continuously, from well before 2000 down to today ? And it is worthy of note that every phrase in this version of the Secret does occur in the Neues Europa version (accessible on the Internet), amidst material drawn or imitated from other pious sources. In any case, may God truly have mercy upon us all, and let us pray the Rosary without ceasing. Kyrie eleison. http://www.archbishoplefebvre.com/1/post/2013/06/third-secret-of-fatima-contained-in-1963-version.html © 2011-2013 Richard N. Williamson. All Rights Reserved.
A non-exclusive license to print out, forward by email, and/or post this article to the Internet is granted to users who wish to do so provided that no changes are made to the content so reproduced or distributed, to include the retention of this notice with any and all reproductions of content as authorized hereby. Aside from this limited, non-exclusive license, no portion of this article may be reproduced in any other form or by any other electronic or mechanical means without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review, or except in cases where rights to content reproduced herein are retained by its original author(s) or other rights holder(s), and further reproduction is subject to permission otherwise granted thereby. NB This is from Non Possumus and is translated by GOOGLE TRANSLATE so it is very rough. Father, can you tell us how is the project of the new Monastery of San Jose? Sure. First I want to thank all the faithful readers and friends for their help Non Possumus spiritual and material. I want to talk to the project has come a long way with the help of God and all of you. Providence we settled in Colombia. There were several important signals called us there, so now our plans are concentrated there. In recent months, these plans have been secured and all resistance is supporting us. The project is well under way and built a monastery, started about 6 years ago, thanks to the faith of some families who wanted to build something that would serve for the preservation of the faith. Without knowing exactly what it would be used, began to build a monastery and a Benedictine Monastery, by the way it was built, and being in the mountains, in a place where he has been for four centuries monasteries. These people God entrusted his work for a day out and consecrated religious house project to San Jose. Then when they saw me and had the project of a monastery, offered this construction, and after analyze it and see it with the superiors, saw it was the most suitable to begin the project of the Monastery of San José. - When will open the monastery and where it is located? Our plan is to open on October 7, with five monks, with the help of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Brazil and many benefactors. The new vocations begin arriving next year. San Jose has been in charge of the project from the beginning and we are very pleased that has advanced so quickly. The monastery is located in the most blessed of Colombia, a few kilometers from the city of Chiquinquirá which is the national shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, the most important in Colombia invocation of the Blessed Virgin. It is also within a mile of a former Dominican monastery, which was built in that area because the Apostle Bartholomew appeared asking to build a house of prayer, a religious house in that area, it was the Will of God. And as the Monastery now a museum, we saw that this desire of Jesus Christ through His Apostle St. Bartholomew, it is up to us to continue that work. - What role has the Monastery of the Holy Cross in this new foundation? The Santa Cruz saw that the best way to support and help his monastery, was found another Benedictine house. To receive vocations Spanish speaking and at the same time could share the work and ministry of the Holy Cross Monastery in Brazil. Then Dom Thomas has given us all your help, all their support, and with the help of the monks are also going to start this new monastery. - Will you go monks of the Holy Cross to Colombia? Yes They're going to stay with us monks. Do not yet know how many, but for now comes in October. - How will the opening ceremony of the new Monastery on October 7? We'll make a solemn Mass with all the monks and a priest visitor who will also attend, as well as all the faithful. Our Lady of the Rosary is the patron at the start of the Monastery. - Bishop Williamson is aware of the project? Williamson, seeing how providential work, the desire to put a bastion of faith to preserve the legacy of Archbishop Lefebvre, and all the signs of God to settle there, he gave us his blessing and asked us monastic adventure in Colombia. He gave us his blessing and is willing to help us with everything we need. We only asked one thing: that we keep faithfully prayed the Divine Office in common every day, because this is the strongest stone of a Monastery, fidelity to the Holy Rule, the Divine Office and the traditional liturgy. - How many monks and priests begin the Monastery? We started 5 on October 7. Another priest who will be helping us, a priest friend of Tradition and has always worked in traditional circles. - How faithful have visited and are helping this work? We have visited in the last three months between 120-150 different faithful. - They will attend to the faithful of the Resistance in need of sacraments? Yes, at the request of Bishop Williamson, will be traveling to meet faithful, even to the faithful of Ecuador, in Quito and Cuenca. Visits are not yet fixed, but the visit occasionally. 'Father, what is now the monastery needs? Are you quite finished? The Monastery is habitable, you can live there but still very austere. We are still missing important things, for example, no electricity (we are putting solar panels), no drinking water, use water to bring the lake, we need a well. We have furniture, we are missing some windows, and we need to build a second floor to house another 10 monks. In addition, of course, the power of the monks. Therefore, we need the help of all the faithful of the Resistance. -You have consecrated to San Jose entire project since leaving the United States, is not it? He is the main protagonist of this project. San José is initiated, which continues and will culminate the work. They have been told to the monks who want to enter the monastery that St. Joseph is the Abbot, who all have to be devoted to San Jose, which is the perfect model of monastic life, the one who has loved Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin and help us perfection of Benedictine life. San Jose is the Abbot, is the father of the house and the monastery will be like Nazareth. The aim of all the monks is to become another San Jose who live to love the Blessed Virgin and to sacrifice for Jesus Christ through the vows of perfection and fidelity to the Rule. Working and praying as San Jose and along with him and through him and to him more pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin. - Does the Monastery website? Yes, and we ask all the faithful who visit. Thank you very much for the interview Father. The website of the Monastery of San José is: http://benedictinos.jimdo.com/ To the faithful who want to cooperate materially to this work, we give the following link: http://benedictinos.jimdo.com/donativos/ ![]() Cosmas and Damian, who were eminent physicians in the time of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, were brothers, and Arabs by race, but born in the city of Aegea in Cilicia. Not more by their knowledge of medicine than by the power of Christ they healed diseases which had been hopeless for others. When the Prefect Lysias learnt to what faith they belonged, he commanded them to be brought before him, and questioned them as to their way of life, and the confession of their religion; and then, forasmuch as they freely owned themselves Christians and the Christian faith needful to salvation, he commanded them to worship the gods, under threats of torments and a most cruel death. But when he found that it was but in vain to lay such things before them, he said: Bind their hands and feet together, and put them to the sharpest of the question. And he was obeyed, but nevertheless Cosmas and Damian abode still of the same mind. Therefore they were cast into the depth of the sea, bound as they were, but they came forth again, whole and unbound. The Prefect, therefore, who would have it that it came to pass so by force of art magic, cast them into prison. On the morrow he haled them forth again, and bade cast them upon a great fire, but the flame turned away from them. He was pleased then to have them tormented in divers and cruel sorts, and lastly, smitten with the axe. Thus did they bear witness for Christ Jesus even until they grasped the palm of their testimony. ![]() Cyprian was firstly a warlock and lastly a Martyr. A certain young man having a violent lust after a Christian maiden named Justina, employed him to excite her to join in this lewdness, by dint of incantations and philters. Cyprian thereupon asked counsel of the devil, how he might best gain that end. But the devil answered him that these arts are only thrown away upon true worshippers of Christ. This answer troubled Cyprian, and he began to repent heartily of the course of life he had hitherto led. And then he forsook his arts magic, and gave himself wholly up to the faith of the Lord Christ. For this cause, he and the Virgin Justina were arrested together, beaten with blows and scourging, and cast into prison, if haply they might change their mind. Being brought out of the prison, but still standing fast in their Christian religion, they were dipped in a vessel full of hot pitch, fat, and wax, and in the end beheaded, at Nicomedia. Their bodies were thrown out, and lay unburied for the space of six days, at the end of which time some sailors took them secretly by night on board a ship, and carried them to Rome. They were first buried on the farm of the noble lady Rufina, but afterwards brought into the city, where they lie hard by the Baptistery in the Church of the Saviour, built by Constantine. ![]() Patron of Cork, Diocese of Cork 550 - 620 He was the son of an artisan and a lady of the Irish royal court. Born in Connaught, Ireland, and baptized Lochan, he was educated at Kilmacahil, Kilkenny, where the monks named him Fionnbharr (white head) because of his light hair; he is also known as Bairre and Barr. He went on pilgrimage to Rome with some of the monks, visiting St. David in Wales on the way back. Supposedly, on another visit to Rome the Pope wanted to consecrate him a bishop but was deterred by a vision, notifying the pope that God had reserved that honor to Himself, and Finbar was consecrated from heaven and then returned to Ireland. At any rate, he may have preached in Scotland, definitely did in southern Ireland, lived as a hermit on a small island at Lough Eiroe, and then, on the river Lee, founded a monastery that developed into the city of Cork, of which he was the first bishop. His monastery became famous in southern Ireland and attracted numerous disciples. Many miracles are attributed to him, and supposedly, the sun did not set for two weeks after he died at Cloyne about the year 633. His feast day is September 25th. |
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